Sections
彼Kare: what it means in anime
かれ · kare
he; him; boyfriend
Kare means "he" or "him". It can also mean "boyfriend", although 彼氏 (kareshi) is the more common word for that.
Updated October 24, 2026
Where you hear it
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私は 彼を本気で愛していたし
NANAEpisode 2 · 15 lines in episodes 1–3 -
使者を送って 彼を招待しろ
One-Punch ManEpisode 2 · 10 lines in episodes 1–3 -
きっと誰も 彼が喰種だなんて…
Tokyo GhoulEpisode 2 · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 More examples (3)
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彼こそ 神の使いかもしれない
Mob Psycho 100Episode 3 · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 -
彼は大山君 特徴がないのが特徴よ
Angel Beats!Episode 1 · 7 lines in episodes 1–3 -
彼の名前は 早川アキ ん？
Chainsaw ManEpisode 2 · 5 lines in episodes 1–3
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Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.
Usage and nuance
Like 彼女, 彼 sounds a bit formal in conversation. Friends talking about a guy are more likely to say あいつ, あの人 or his name, so 彼 often marks narration, a polite speaker or someone choosing words carefully.
In romance scenes 彼 can quietly mean "my boyfriend": 彼が待ってる is "my boyfriend is waiting". The plural is 彼ら (karera), "they".
If a character switches from あいつ to 彼 when talking about someone, the respect level just went up, and the reverse is a put-down.
Hear 彼 in NANA15 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account